Nothin' Better Than Noshin'

December 8, 2005

There's snacking, nibbling and grazing - and then there's noshing, which has a certain cache when it comes to eating in small quantities. There are many similar definitions of the word "nosh," but my favorite is "to eat on the sly."

Sitting with a good book and munching potato chips is nibbling, an apple in between meals is snacking, and eating small portions of a variety of foods is grazing. But surreptitiously biting into that slice of kosher salami, to be followed by yet another slice when nobody's looking … that's noshing.

Or slicing a sliver of that still-warm-from-the-oven coffee cake when nobody's home, a midnight spread of chopped liver on matzah crackers when the rest of the house is sleeping, a generous handful of honeyed walnuts or a few savory-spiced olives that were meant to be served at your next dinner party, now that's what noshing is all about!

My grandmother used to have a kitchen cabinet designated for "nosheries" that was filled with all the edibles her grandchildren loved best - my favorites were the miniature Hershey bars. She would give me one or two and leave the package out, knowing full well that I would help myself to another when she turned her attention elsewhere.

Today, some of my favorite noshes are cold fried chicken (just the leg, please), and last night's grilled steak, fresh from the fridge, accompanied by a forkful of cold spaghetti consumed at an unlikely time of night or day when I'm all alone and "eating on the sly."

Honey-Glazed Walnuts[Pareve]

1/3 cup honey, warmed
1 cup walnut halves
1 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together the honey and walnuts, tossing to coat well.

Spread nuts in one layer in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 15 minutes, stir, and bake another 5 minutes.

Transfer while warm to a sheet of parchment paper or foil, and working quickly, separate walnuts with a fork.

Cool completely and remove nuts from parchment, breaking up any large pieces. Store in airtight container.